Some human beings are being hues,
Merely auras in the air,
Small auroras, ghostly blues,
All around their clothes and hair.

Debbie sees herself as red,
Or glowing orange, and yellow too.
Green once occupied her head.
She's been known to be dark blue.

Once her aura looked like lightning.
Just like the fire in stormy skies.
She says her puppy found it frightening.
He used his paws to hide his eyes.

It only happened once, by chance,
While she yawned one Tuesday night.
Since then her aura's failed to dance
In such a blinding flash of light.

She tried to repeat this lightning trick
While at a car boot sale one June.
She bought a broken walking stick,
A clock shaped like a crescent moon.

An empty old blue bottle that
Once held some alcoholic drink,
A slightly torn bee-keeper hat
And a stopper for her kitchen sink.

She bought a small blue statue too.
A graceful horse that stared ahead.
The man who sold it said it's new,
And not to call it Mister Ed.

"His name's Van Gough because his ear
Is slightly chipped. He doesn't mind.
He doesn't care that all his hair
Is this bright blue from head to hind."

As she walked towards her car
She let her puppy meet Van Gough.
Their friendship hadn't gone too far
Before the horse's head fell off.

She went back to where she bought
The horse before it fell apart.
The body and the head, she brought.
She said the horse would need a cart

To hold his head, or he'd forget
To bring it with him when he goes
To get a drink or place a bet.
He'd surely need his eyes and nose.

The man said, "This one's not a duff.
Van Gough cut off his head as well.
A single ear was not enough.
When he removed his head it fell

"On his foot. It hurt his toe.
He cursed his head, or it cursed him.
He managed a self-portrait, though.
His shoulders held his straw hat's brim."

"I'd like my money back," she said.
But this he didn't seem to hear.
"Choose another horse instead.
I pride myself on being fair.

"This one's ears are both intact.
And yes, they seem extremely large.
He makes up for what Van Gough lacked.
For these ears there's no extra charge.

"His name is Big Ears. This one's Noddy.
His bright red hat he'll often doff.
He's very proud of his grey body.
And when he nods, his head comes off."

She said, "I want a refund now."
He asked to see Van Gough's receipt.
"Without receipts I don't see how
I'll stay clear of a con's deceit."

"You know you didn't give me one,"
She said with anger in her voice.
He said to her, "What's done is done.
You took your chance and made your choice.

"You probably broke it as you played
With poor Van Gough, your little friend."
Completely quiet and still, she stayed.
Soon, she thought, this game will end.

She tried to make her aura look
Like a terrifying lightning flash.
For this there's no instruction book.
The time had come for something rash.

She strained as hard as she could strain.
The man stood back, with Noddy too.
Thoughts of lightning filled her brain.
In her face, a trace of blue.

But still her aura lacked the light.
The lightning strike remained well hid.
Her puppy sat just to her right.
She said, "Attack!" And that he did.

Or so she said when we first met.
But I doubt it very much.
He seemed a happy, playful pet,
As peaceful as the Swiss or Dutch.

I met her at that car boot sale,
Where I was buying paper clips.
We hit it off. She told her tale.
I tested all her finger tips

To see if they possessed a charge.
I thought I felt a current flow.
And though it wasn't very large,
I wouldn't call it very low.

I'd like to be a constant grey,
And only say the blandest things,
And blend in with a cloudy day.
I'll talk about what each cloud brings.

She likes that too. She likes to talk
About the grey surrounding me.
On rainy days she loves to walk,
And clouds bring electricity.